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Personal Narratives 

SEVENTH SERIES, No. 6 



Campaign of Battery D, First Rhode Island 

Light Artillery, in Kentucky 

and East Tennessee 



By EZRA K. PARKER, 

[Late First Lieutenant Battery E, 
First Rhode Island Light Artillery] 




FIRST LIEUT. EZRA K. PARKER 

(Picture taken June, igo8) 



PERSONAL NARRATIVES 



OF EVENTS IN THE 



War of the Rebellion, 

BEING PAPERS READ BEFORE THE 

' RHODE ISLAND SOLDIERS AND SAILORS 
HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 



Seventh Series No. 6. 



PROVIDENCE : 

PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY. 

1913. 






•7 



SNOW & FARNHAM CO., POINTERS. 

GKit 

'Rj* Society 

*<n 9 ftfj 



Campaign of Battery D, First Rhode 

Island Light Artillery, in Kentucky 

and East Tennessee. 



BY 
EZRA K. PARKER, 

[Late First Lieutenant Battery E, First Rhode Island 
Light Artillery.] 



PROVroENCE: 

PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY. 
1913. 



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b^ 



E5Z 



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"^ CAMPAIGN OF BATTERY D, FIRST RHODE ISLAND 

^^ LIGHT ARTILLERY, IN KENTUCKY 

AND EAST TENNESSEE. 



In March, 1863, Gen. A. E. Burnside, having been 
relieved at his own request of the command of the 
Army of the Potomac, was soon afterwards assigned 
to the Department of the Ohio. Upon his special 
request, the Ninth Army Corps was also detailed for 
service in this department, and at once preparations 
were made for the transportation of the corps from 
Virginia to Kentucky. Battery D, First Rhode Is- 
land Light Artillery, Capt. William W. Buckley, was 
at that time attached to the Ninth Corps and was 
sent with its corps to the west. This battery had 
been at the beginning of its service attached to the 
first division of the Army of the Potomac, and when 
the army was divided into army corps, this battery 
was included in the first corps commanded by Gen- 
eral McDowell. Its first active service was in the 
short and successful campaign to Fredericksburg, in 



6 BATTERY D, FIRST R. I. LT, ARTLY. 

April and May, 1862. Then it went through the 
campaign of the Army of Virginia, under Gen. John 
Pope, losing heavily at the battle of the second Ma- 
nassas, then again under G^eneral McClellan, in his 
successful campaign of South Mountain and Antie- 
tam. Meantime, General- McDowell had been suc- 
ceeded by General Hooker in the command of the 
First Army Corps. It was in the Fredericksburg 
campaign under Burnside, and was by his order 
transferred from the First to the Ninth Army C^rps. 
After a not unpleasant march, both by rail and 
steamboat, the battery reached Lexington, Ky., on 
March 30th, 1863, and went into camp on the Fair 
grounds. Here it remained but a week, and then 
the line of march was taken up for camp Dick Rob- 
inson. On the 26th, the battery began its march 
from camp Dick Robinson to Somerset, near the 
Cumberland river, completing it on the 7th of May, 
1863, and there it remained until the 7th of June, 
It was now expected that within a few days the 
march for East Tennessee would commence. Al- 
though we, members of the battery, well knew that 
the campaign would be arduous and full of dangers, 



IN KENTUCKY AND BAST TENNESSEE. i 

still we were all anxious to advance. In consequence 
of orders to General Burnside to send a part of his 
command to Vdcksburg to assist General Grant, and 
in consequence of the raid of Gen. John Morgan, it 
was not until the 21st of August, 1863, that the ex- 
pedition started. The T'wenty-third Army Corps 
was the only corps that commenced at that date the 
march over the CJumberland river and mountains. 
General Hartzuff commanded the corps, consisting 
of three divisions commanded by Generals White, 
Hascall and Carter, respectively. We were attached 
to Gen. HascalPs division, and marched with our di- 
vision by way of Stanford, Crab Orchard and Cub 
Creek to the Ctimberland river. The Ninth Corps 
was reported to be at Cincinnati and to follow close 
upon the tracks of the Twenty-third Corps. The 
strength of the Twenty-third Corps was, perhaps, 
15,000 or 20,000 men of all arms. 

The march over the Cumberland mountains was 
full of adventures and labors. It would require a 
much longer paper than this to describe the many in- 
cidents that befell us on that famous march. We 
had no snow nor ice to encounter, but otherwise I 



8 BATTERY D, FIRST R. I. LT. ARTLY. 

doubt whether or not Napoleon's crossing of the Alps 
was more fraught with dangers and hardships than 
was this crossing of the Cumberland mountains by 
the Army of the Ohio. On the 4th of September, 
1863, we arrived upon the bluffs of the Tennessee 
river, opposite Loudon. Here we remained, recuper- 
ating, until the 15th of September. The enemy had 
hurriedly retreated upon our arrival at Loudon, leav- 
ing horses, mules and beef cattle, which we duly ap- 
propriated to our own use. A large amount of wheat 
and corn was found in the possession of the farmers, 
which was seized by the quartermasters. A steam 
flour-mill was found in good condition and was em- 
ployed in grinding up the wheat and corn. We sup- 
plemented our rations with chicken and fresh pork 
while we were encamped at Loudon. We were on 
the main line of railway from Virginia to the South- 
western states. In their retreat from Loudon, the 
enemy had burned the bridge across the Tennessee 
at that point. It was several days before we w^ere 
able to place across the river a pontoon bridge. 
From the south, in the direction of Chattanooga, 
Gen. N. B. Forest often threatened us. From the 



IX KENTUCKY AND EAST TENNESSEE, if 

north, a General Jones was daily reported to be ad- 
vancing down the valley of the Holston upon Knox- 
ville. About the time that our battery arrived at 
Loudon, Gen. Burnside made a public entry into 
Knoxville. General Burnside was not a little disap- 
pointed in not having with him the Ninth Army 
Corps as early as he expected. The corps had been 
transported from Vicksburg (after having done ex- 
cellent service before that city and also at Jackson) 
to Cincinnati, Ohio. In consequence of the great 
heat at Vicksburg and of the arduous service re- 
quired of the corps, nearly 50 per cent of the men 
were sick with dysentery and ague. They were sent 
into Kentucky as soon as possible to find a healthy 
camp for a few weeks. Crab Orchard was the place 
selected for the camp on account of its medicinal 
springs and salubrious surroundings. 

On Sept. 25th, 1863, the first division of the Ninth 
Army Corps arrived at Knoxville, after being sub- 
jected to long, fatiguing marches over bad roads by 
way of Cumberland Gap and Morristown. Our re- 
pose at Loudon was broken by orders to place knap- 
sacks and the ammunition chests of the caissons 



10 BATTERY D, FIRST R. 1. LT, ARTLY. 

upon flat cars in order to expedite a contemplated 
forced march. Tlie railroad from Loudon was in op- 
eration to a point up the Holston valley beyond 
Knoxville. The order to move was received upon the 
15th inst. We made camp on the night of the 15th 
near Knoxville, about thirty miles from Loudon. 
On the 16th we advanced to Strawberry Plains, and 
on the 17th to New Market. We remained in New 
Market two days, and then received orders to coun- 
termarch to Loudon. We had been absent about a 
week, and had covered in all about 200 miles. The 
cause of this rapid movement from Loudon to New 
Market was a rumored attack by the enemy upon 
our forces in southwestern \'iirginia. The cause of 
our return was a dispatch from General Halleck to 
General Burnside, notifying him that two divisions 
of General Lee's Army of Northern Virginia had 
been sent to reinforce General Bragg, and he desired 
him, General Burnside, to go to General Rosecrans' 
aid as soon as possible. 

On the 23rd of September our battein- crossed the 
Tennessee at Loudon by the aid of a single flat boat 
large ennugli to take over only one team and carriage 



IN KENTUCKY AND BAST TENNESSEE. 



11 



at a time. It took all day and most of the night to 
efifect the crossing. Soon after crossing, we took up 
the march for Sweetwater, a station sixteen miles 
south from Loudon, on the east Tennessee and 
Georgia railroad. We had no sooner arrived at 
Sweetwater than we were ordered to countermarch, 
and away we went back to Loudon. On our arrival 
there, we were ordered into a rebel fort to the right 
of the village facing south. This hill was in a bend 
of the river. A pontoon bridge had been laid across 
the river and troops of all arms were continually 
crossing to the south bank. There strong lines of 
battle were formed, and in expectation of a severe 
conflict, we awaited the approach of General For- 
rest, who was steadily driving back our cavalry and 
mounted infantry upon Loudon. We were all anx- 
ious for a brush with the famous General Forrest, 
and had he assailed our position he would have met 
with a hot reception. This was the 28th of Septem- 
ber, 1863. 

Forrest was reported to be advancing with a large 
mounted force, estimated by citizens and negroes 
from 3,000 to 15,000 men. We supposed that on the 



12 BATTERY D, FIRST R. I. LT, AUTLY. 

morning of the 29tli we would have a royal battle on 
the banks of the Tennessee. But day dawned and no 
attack was delivered, and soon word came from our 
mounted force that Forrest had commenced his re- 
treat down the valley during the night, while we 
were watering and feeding our horses and mules and 
inspecting ammunition. From October 1st to the 
5th, we were busy collecting forage. In our wagons, 
and carefully covered by the forage, were carcasses 
of hogs and sheep. Our company cooks served up 
rations which could only be fully appreciated by eat- 
ing. Men, horses and mules were growing fat, sleek 
and handsome. 

On the 6th of October, we received orders to report 
to our first division of the Ninth Army Corps at Blue 
Springs, in the valley of the Holston, distant about 
ninety-eight miles from Loudon. The enemy were 
reported to be threatening our communications with 
Cumberland Gap, and the Ninth Corps had been or- 
dered to prevent all interference with this line. The 
infantry were transported by rail, but the battery 
w as sent forward on foot. In order that the battery 
should arrive as soon as possible after the infantry 



IN KENTUCKY AND EAST TENNESSEE. 13 

it was forced along at the rate of about thirty miles 
per day. We found the roads in very fair condition. 
At dark, on the 9th, we arrived at Bull Gap, a gorge 
in one of those spur ranges of mountains that ex- 
tend out from the main chain, and which, at a dis- 
tance, resembles somewhat a large wandrow of hay. 
On the next day we passed through the gap and soon 
came up with our division, posted in lines of battle 
along Lick Creek. 

Our arrival was duly reported and we were or- 
dered to hold ourselves ready to take position and 
open upon the enemy. Here we found General Burn- 
side, and he gave us a hearty greeting, calling us his 
Rhode Island boys. We responded sincerely and vo- 
ciferously. Soon after this the general gave the order 
for our line to advance, as the enemy made no diver- 
sion against us. Soneone facetiously said that prob- 
ably the general had waited for our battery before he 
ordered the attack. We replied to such remarks by 
retorting that this showed the general's good judg- 
ment. A Colonel Foster was in command of a bri- 
gade of cavalry, and General Burnside sent him 
around by the enemy's right flank to seize and hold 



14 BAll'ERY D, FIRST R. I. LT. ARTLY. 

his lines of retreat. As soon as it was probable that 
Colonel Foster had reached the desired position, a 
charge was made upon the enemy's position. A 
sharp and hotl^- contested light ensued. We drove 
the enemy from his position about dark. We here 
formed a new line and lay upon our arms for a re- 
newal of the fight at dawn. The advance was duly 
made, but the enemy had fled, and Colonel Poster, 
as it usually happens in such cases, had not got into 
position to intercept them. Our battery had been in 
position all day, but was not called upon at all until 
about dark to fire a few shots at a battery of the 
enemy that soon withdrew. We pursued the enemy 
twenty miles up the valley. At noon, we passed 
through the village of Greenville, and read the sign 
over a building, with the simple legend, "A. Johnson, 
Tailor." A mile beyond Rhea Town we went into 
camp. On the 12th, the cavalry reported the enemy 
to be so scattered that further pursuit was useless. 
On the next day, we started back for Knoxville, and 
arrived there on the 16th of October, 1863. From 
Loudon to Rhea Town, and from Rhea Town to 
Knoxville, made a distance of 226 miles, a daily av- 



IN KENTUCKY AND EAST TENNESSEE. 15 

erage of a little more than 22 miles. For two days 
we lay at Knoxville. 

On the 20th. we marched again for Loudon. We 
camped that night at Campbell's Station, seventeen 
miles from Knoxville. We next encamped at Le- 
noir's Station. This was a very large plantation 
owned by a Dr. Lenoir. Its lands were very exten- 
sive and beautifully situated. The village consisted 
of a railroad station, the owner's mansion, large farm 
buildings, yarn factory, houses for overseers and a 
hundred or more cabins for his slaves. H'e, the doc- 
tor, was a large slave owner, and a violent rebel. He 
had extensive fields of maize; one of which was esti- 
mated to be four miles in length. The width was 
considerably less. Most of the corn was as high as 
a man could reach on horseback. 

On October 22nd, we marched to Loudon and 
crossed the river. The village of Loudon is on the 
left bank of the Tennessee. Soon after the retreat 
of General Forrest, referred to above, the writer was 
detailed to open a recruiting office in the village of 
Loudon, as our several batteries were all short of 
men. I duly opened the offllce in a small building 



16 BATTERY D, FIRST R. 1. LT. ARTLY. 

contiguous to a hotel owned by a Mr. Hoss, called 
by our men "The old hoss." I had two men with me, 
one a corporal, I appointed clerk; the other man 
acted as guard and orderly. Handbills were printed 
and distributed in the vicinity, and on the morning 
of the second day, as I looked out of the oflSce, I had 
an idea that a large squadron of cavalry was drawn 
up before the hotel. The men were thin and lanky, 
also their horses were the same. All carried guns, 
some double barrel shotguns; some ancient rifles, 
and a few modern carbines. I remained in my ofl8)ce, 
and soon two of the riders dismounted and presented 
themselves before the guard, who, with drawn saber 
and revolver in belt, upheld the dignity of the United 
States Government in the eyes of these horsemen. 
The United States flag was duly floating in the morn- 
ing air, and all around were nailed the handbills ask- 
ing for recruits for the U. S. Volunteer Military serv- 
ice. The men who dismounted represented the whole 
squad. They inquired of the guard if they could 
"jine" the Union army, and the guard referred them 
to me for an answer. They came inside and said 
"Howd}'." I responded by a dignified nod of the 



IN KENTUCKY AND BAST TENNESSEE. 17 

head. I at once entered upon business, and told them 
the conditions upon which they could become Uncle 
Samuel's volunteer soldiers. I stated that I would 
call a surgeon in order to ascertain if they were 
physically qualified to enlist. I asked them what 
they proposed to do with their horses, suggesting 
that if they were serviceable, they would be bought 
for our service. They then said that they came from 
the mountains that lay partly in North Carolina and 
partly in Tennessee ; that they wanted to keep their 
horses and go home upon them once a week. I ex- 
plained that if they enlisted in our service they 
could go home only at times when furloughs might 
be granted them, and that meantime they would be 
expected to be in camp or with their commands at 
all times, day and night. This they said they could 
not agree to. They would be readv at any time to 
a fight, if their services were required, and this they 
thought was all that should be required of them. Un- 
der such conditions, it is evident that the fifty or 
more mountaineers did not enlist. This ceremony 
took place on each of the two or three following days, 
and I tired of this service. 



18 BATTERY D, FIRST R. I. LT. ARTLY. 

I did not secure a single recruit, and when our 
battery was ordered to Blue Springs, I was only too 
pleased to turn over the office to a captain of infan- 
try, who was as successful recruiting as I had been. 
Another little episode happened to me just before I 
entered upon the recruiting service. It became nec- 
essary for Captain Buckley to send to Kcoxville a 
commissioned officer to report to General liurnside. 
Our pickets extended about two miles out from Lou- 
don towards Knoxville, and from Knoxville toward 
Loudon about the same distance. The railroad was 
not in use at that time, so it was necessary to make 
the twenty-six miles outside of our lines. 

It was about four p. m., when I learned from the 
captain that I was the favored officer to report at 
Knoxville. It was suggested that I need not start 
until dawn next morning, still I was at liberty to 
leave at once. I considered the matter a moment and 
decided to leave that day at dark. There was no 
moon, but it had all the indications of a bright star- 
light night. I had my best horse, a thoroughbred 
Kentuckian, fed at once. I took my sabre and re- 
volver, with a light lunch, and at dark I quietly left 



IN KENTUCKY AND E3AST TENNESSEE. 19 

camp for mj ride to Knoxville. The road to Knox- 
ville was direct and plain. Nearly half the distance 
it passed through woodland, with but little under- 
brush. I decided, as the country outside of our lines 
was infested with rebel scouts and guerillas, to ride 
rapidly through the open country, but to walk 
through the wooded part, as it was so dark there that 
I could not see. If I walked, I could use the sense 
of hearing, and so be warned of the approach of 
either friend or foe. Should I hear advancing steps, 
I could easily ride out of the road into the woods 
out of sight, as there were no fences that bordered 
the road. I met with little adventure. Once, just as 
I was passing a farmhouse, a voice in the rear, near 
the house, called out in a loud tone, "halt." I did 
not obey the order, but touched lightly the flank of 
my thoroughbred with my spur and he left the house 
behind like the wind. Two or three times I thought 
I heard approaching footsteps in the woodland, and 
I rode a few rods out of the road and waited for a 
few minutes in expectation, but it proved to be all 
imagination, and I returned to the road, scratching 
my face more or less in the branches of the trees. 



20 BATTERY D, FIRST R. 1. LT. ARTLY. 

I had calculated that 1 could make the ride of 
thirty miles in about four hours, but in consequence 
of the slow progi^ess through the woods, it took me 
much longer, and it was some time after midnight 
that I discovered several hundred yards ahead of me 
a fire just outside of the road, partly screened by 
bushes, I knew that it ought to be a Union picket 
thrown out by our troops in Knoxville, but I deemed 
it best to make sure. Most of the way on this road 
there were few stones, large or small. It was gen- 
erally a dry loam, and hence a horse though shod, 
upon the walk would make but little noise. I walked 
along slowly upon one side of the road towards the 
fire, ready to turn and race down the road if it should 
be necessary for my safety. Some additional fuel 
was cast upon the fire, and it lighted up so that I 
could distinguish a soldier in our uniform, and I at 
once went boldly forward. I soon was observed by 
our picket and duly challenged. After I had given 
the countersign and shown my pass to the ofiicer in 
command, I was taken to the picket station and well 
entertained. Early in the day I reported to General 
Burnside. When I was about to leave, he questioned 



IN KENTUCKY AND ElAST TENNESSEE. 21 

me about my Journey from Loudon, and instructed 
me to return with a column that would leave for 
Loudon that afternoon. I returned to our camp the 
next day about 2 p. m., in fair condition. 

On October 29th, our battery was parked near Le- 
noir's Station, on the edge of a fine grove of pine 
trees. Here we were informed that our winter quar- 
ters would be. Our men at once entered upon the 
construction of log cabins for the command, as well 
as stables for our animals. This work went rapidly 
forward, as the pine woods furnished ready and am- 
ple material. We also utilized a large barn built of 
weather beaten boards which stood near our camp. 
The boards furnished floors for the cabins and roofs 
for our stables. The roofs of the cabins were covered 
with paulines. By the 13th of November, the camp 
was completed and we all looked forward for a pleas- 
ant time during the approaching winter. 

The scientists of the battery had captured a still 
on one of their foraging expeditions, and in a week 
or so more the intention was to furnish a liberal sup- 
ply of pure whiskey at moderate prices. But ^^man 
proposes and God disposes," and on the morning of 



22 BATTERY D, FIRST R. I. LT. ARTLY. 

the 14th, our short, sweet dream of cosy winter quar- 
ters was broken. Soon after revielle, before the men 
had fallen into line for roll call, there was the sound 
of heavy artillery firing at Loudon. We proceeded 
with the r-egular camp duties and at the usual time 
ate our breakfast. Soon we learned the news. Gen- 
eral Longstreet, of the Army of Northern Virginia, 
with his famous corps which had done good service 
for the rebel arms at Chickamauga, had been sent by 
General Bragg from Chattanooga to capture Burn- 
side and to clean out the Tennessee and Holston val- 
leys from Southern Tennessee to the southern boun- 
dary of Virginia. The veterans of Longstreet had 
been told that some 15,000 raw troops were scattered 
from Loudon to Knoxville, who would retreat in con- 
fusion at the first appearance of General Longstreet. 
It seems that it was not generally known that the 
Ninth Corj)S had arrived in the valley. The rebels 
attempted to lay down a pontoon bridge at Hough's 
Ferry, a short distance below Loudon. The troops 
sent to oppose the crossing were from both the Ninth 
and Twenty-third Corps. The enemy was not a little 
surprised at the successful resistance which our 



IN KENTUCKY AND EAST TENNESSEE. 



23 



troops made to. his advance. He was held all day 
from advancing from the river, and the opinion was 
that Longstreet would be defeated on the morrow. 
General Grant had requested General Burnside to 
maintain himself for a short time, until he, Grant, 
could fight the battle of Missionary Ridge ; then 
he would promptly send him assistance. Gen- 
eral Burnside, it seems, was so confident that he 
could hold his own with Longstreet, that he proposed 
to allow Longstreet to cross the Tennessee so that it 
would not be possible for him to return to Gieneral 
Bragg in time to aid him in the coming fight. 

So, on the night of the 14th, it was decided to fall 
back, and on the 15th General Burnside gave orders 
to retreat slowly as far as Lenoir's. Our battery re- 
mained in camp all this time, ready to move. It was 
not untD 5 p. m., on the loth, that we began to move 
on the main road to Campbell's station. This night 
march was the most horrid of all my nearly four 
years' experience in the United States Army. Lan- 
guage will fail to do it justice. I was chief of the 
left section and brought up the rear, or was sup- 
posed to. It had rained for twenty-four hours and 



24 BATTERY D, FIRST R. I. LT. ARTLY. 

the frost was about all out of the ground. The soil 
was a rich clay, two or three feet in depth. Our 
horses were not very strong, and after they had 
dragged the guns and caissons about a mile, their 
strength was gone. 

I was instructed to retreat slowly and in case our 
rear guard, composed of infantry and cavalry, should 
find it necessary to make a stand, I was to go into 
battery. The right and center sections had gone far 
ahead of me, as the road was not cut up so bad for 
them, and it literally seemed, in the language of the 
poet Horace, that the ''Devil would take the hind- 
most." After the first mile we came to a long, deep 
bed of sticky mud. I rode in advance, and found 
that about a half mile ahead there was a little knoll 
of cleared land, comparatively dry, and skirted by 
a high, worm fence of good oak rails. So I went 
back and ordered an advance. By pushing hard, we 
were able to move our tired teams. Before we had 
made 200 yards, we were stalled. Then we all, non- 
commissioned officers, privates and myself, put our 
shoulders to the wheels and made another 200 yards. 
We were all wet inside by sweat and outside by mud 



IN KENTUCKY AND BAST TENNESSEE. 25 

and water. Never have I seen men do better. At 
last, somehow, near morning, we reached the knoll, 
a mile and a half from camp, physically used up. 
The caissons in front with guns to the rear, we drew 
up by the roadside and replenished the smouldering 
fires with rails. Our horses, poor things, were reel- 
ing, scarcely able to stand under the weight of their 
harness. 

One of the buglers had been detailed to accompany 
me, and I sent him forward to report to the captain 
our condition and to ask for orders. Meantime, the 
colonel in command of the rear guard sent word that 
the rebel skirmishers were pressing him hard, and 
that he could not hold them back much longer. I 
roused the weary men and sent a sergeant to select 
an easier way through the fields. Before he reported, 
the bugler returned with orders from the captain to 
destroy and throw away my ammunition. I had 
never disobeyed an order, but in this case I knew 
that we had a short supply of ammunition for our 
12-pound Napoleons in all the Tennessee valley; th^t 
guns without ammunition were useless, and so I hesi- 
tated. One round was thrown into the mud bv a 



26 BATTERY D, FIRST R. I. LT. ARTLY. 

corporal, who heard the report of the bugler to me. 
I immediately stopped further destruction aril pro- 
ceeded to place my pieces in battery for opening upon 
the advancing rebel lines, and I had asked our in- 
fantry to unmask our front so that we could have a 
clear field. I gave the order to "load with solid 
shot," and immediately my men were as active as 
ever under the excitement of a fight. Before the or- 
der was executed I heard my name called, and an 
offi<?er reported to me with four fresh, 6-mule teams. 
General Burnside had burned a large quartermas- 
ter's train in order to save his artillery and its am- 
munition. The arrival of the mules prevented the 
destruction of our ammunition and the skirmish 
which I had arranged. I was informed that I should 
make all haste, as General McLaw had been sent by 
the Kingston road to cut off our retreat. The two 
roads, one from Kingston and one from Loudon, in- 
tersected a mile south from Campbell's Station. The 
drivers unhitched their horses and were sent on 
ahead in order to be out of our way. As soon as the 
mules were attached to our guns and caissons, they 
were started, and away they went, through the deep 



IN KENTUCKY AND EAST TENNBSSEJE. 



27 



mud, up hill and down, until they passed safely the 
Kingston road about 10 a. m., and we parked in the 
open field with the rest of our battery. 

A sharp fight took place at the junction of these 
roads, in which our people more than held their own. 
We made some coffee, ate a little corn bread, and all 
of us felt young again. My men and myself were 
still covered with mud. While our battery and its 
division were halted, columns of troops were rapidly 
moving forward and deploying north of the village 
of Campbell's Station. The position was this: Hiere 
was an opening in the woods about three miles long 
from north to south, and from a mile to a mile and a 
half in width. The south end was higher than the 
middle. Prom the middle to the north was quite a 
rise of from fifty to 100 feet, where was spread out 
a broad plateau, which commanded the whole open 
tract of land. The village was in the lowest part of 
the tract. Upon the plateau at the north, General 
Burnside was placing a portion of his troops, includ- 
ing three or four light batteries. 

Our battery soon had orders to move, and on we 
went, followed closely by our rear guard, which it- 



28 BATTERY D, FIRST R. I. LT. ARTLY. 

self was closely pursued by the rebels. Our front 
line of battle was partially in the village of Carap- 
bell's Station, protected very well by the buildings. 
Our battery did not halt until we arrived upon the 
plateau. Soon we were assigned a position to pro- 
tect our extreme right and right tlank. After getting 
into position, we had nothing to do but to observe 
the movement of the enemy. We soon beheld a splen- 
did exhibition of war. The rebel skirmishers first 
appeared in the open, carefully examining the ground 
to find if we had a concealed line of battle near. 
They soon advanced a half mile or less and found no 
opposition. There they rested, and we soon saw the 
rebel columns debouch from both the Loudon and 
the Kingston roads. At last there came a battery of 
20-pounder rifled guns, with several white horses, 
and went into position on the right of the road. 

This battery we had often met in the East. It was 
one of the batteries of the Washington corps of artil- 
lery of New Orleans. This was an excellent battery. 
The enemy soon formed two strong lines of battle 
clear across the open country, about 200 yards apart. 
Light batteries came forward, halting in front, and 



IN KENTUCKY AND BAST TENNESSEE. 29 

'took positions between the brigades. On the flanks 
the cavalry was seen in the open woodland. This 
scene was all spread out before us. In all our great 
battles, such as Manassas and Antietam, we rarely 
saw more than a fourth of a mile of our enemy's line. 
About 12 M., the signal was given, and the rebel 
lines, with flags flying and batteries firing, advanced 
against us. The fighting for the last forty-eight 
hours had evidently convinced Longstreet's veterans 
that they had worthy foes to meet. Pour rifled bat- 
teries planted upon the brow of the hill, under Gen- 
eral Burnside's personal directions, opened rapidly 
upon the enemy's lines of infantry, paying no atten- 
tion apparently to the enemy's artillery fire. The 
very first discharge sent havoc into their first line 
and killed a color bearer. In five minutes their heavy 
lines were fearfully torn, but still closing up and 
keeping up a wonderful alignment they moved right 
on. To us spectators, it seemed that they would over- 
whelm our own lines of battle. The enemy had not 
stopped to fire a rifle, neither had our infantry dis- 
charged a piece. Suddenly a change came over the 
wonderful scene. The Twenty-third Corps opened 



80 BATTERY D, FIRST R. I. LT. ARTLY. 

with terrific volleys, followed closely by the Ninth. 
The lines of the rebels halted, opened fire and sought 
such cover as the surface of the ground afforded 
them. 

Soon the smoke of battle shut in the grand scene 
and we looked to our own commands. The Washing- 
ton artillery began throwing over our way its twenty- 
pounder compliments. As the flank of our battery 
was nearly in line with the fire from the rebel bat- 
tery, it seemed sometimes as if they would rake our 
whole front. Fortunately for us, they did little dam- 
age. Lieutenant Benjamin, chief of artillery, paid 
his special attention to the Washingtonians, and the 
result was that they were satisfied to keep quiet, one 
of their guns burst in full view, and this seemed to 
take their attention away from us. 

Soon a regiment or two of the enemy were seen to 
pass to our extreme right under cover of the skirting 
woodland and into the wood. At once we were or- 
dered to oi)en fire upon this piece of woodland with 
shell and shrapnell. We sent twenty-five or thirty 
shells in rapid succession into the wood, and soon we 
saw the rebels going to their rear upon the run. It 



IN KENTUCKY AND E3AST TBiNNESSBE. 31 

seems that a portion of the Ninth Corps was in posi- 
tion to enfilade the rebel line, and after they had re- 
ceived a few volleys and our shells they beat a hasty 
retreat. During the remainder of the battle there 
was no further trouble on our right flank. This af- 
fair on our right flank convinced us that however 
strong mules were for drawing over heavy roads our 
artillery, they were not at all well behaved in battle. 
Of course, as soon as we opened upon the flanking 
rebels, several batteries of the enemy gave us special 
attention. The shells burst fast and furious all 
around us, but it did not interfere with our shelling 
the woods. I heard deep and loud profanity, and 
turning around saw my two mule teams start to- 
wards each other, and when they met they began to 
climb up each other. 

We had extra men detailed from the infantry to 
help us manage the mules, and it was from our in- 
fantry friends that the loud talk came. After getting 
up in the air a good distance, the leading pairs of 
each team fell over. Underneath each was thrown a 
man. When the rebels retreated from the wood, we 
ceased firing and our cannoneers went to the assist 



32 BATTERY D, FIRST R, I. LT, ARTLY. 

ance of the mule guards. One man was severely 
bruised, though no bones were broken. We had the 
mules taken out of the line of the enemy's tire and 
they soon quieted down. General Longstreet was 
present in command of his forces, reported to be 20,- 
000 strong. Various assaults were made by him 
against our lines that November afternoon, but we 
repulsed them all with heavy loss to him. It was 
now nearly dark. The plan of General Burnsidc 
was to withdraw to Knoxville as soon as he could 
leave his lines in safety, under cover of night. 

AJll the batteries went to the rear, except Benja- 
min's, and one section of Buckley's under my com- 
mand. I was instructed to take orders from Lieu- 
tenant Benjamin and not withdraw until he so or- 
dered. His battery was slowly and accurately firing 
and much annoying the rebel batteries. When it was 
so dark that one could not see twenty-five yards, he 
ordered me to withdraw and proceed as fast as pos- 
sible to Knoxville, not waiting for him. I directed 
that my right or fifth piece should be first limbered 
up. The men in charge of the mules that hauled this 
piece attempted to drive them round to the trail, but 



IN KENTUCKY AND BAST TEINNESSEE. 



33 



they made only a few steps and then planted their 
forward feet in the soft ground and stood firm as 
Gibraltar, The guns were about 100 yards front of 
them, and I soon decided that it would be easier to 
run our pieces back by hand than to attempt to move 
the mules. Men from our division came to our as- 
sistance, and we soon had the guns ready for march- 
ing. 

My caissons, after having supplied from them the 
expended rounds of ammunition from my gun lim- 
bers, had been sent back with the rest of the battery, 
so that 1 had only my two guns to care for on my 
night retreat. My cannoneers were so tired that 1 
allowed them to take turns in riding upon the lim- 
bers. This was our second night out and we were 
all thoroughly exhausted. For thirty hours the men 
had not slept and had partaken of but little food, 
mostly a small ration of corn bread. We were pre- 
ceded by the rest of our battery in Knoxville. I 
reached Knoxville about 5 o'clock in the morning, 
and was directed to camp on the right of our two 
sections just in the rear of Fort Saunders. 

There was an Ohio battery attached to the Twenty- 



34 BATTERY D, FIRST R. I. LT. ARTLY. 

third Army Corps. We made the march with them 
from Kentucky, and we were not a little chagrined 
at the way these sons of Ohio overlapped us in forag- 
ing. We had no serious difficulty with this com- 
mand, still we all felt that it was composed prin- 
cipally of the porcine element. When we went to 
the Ninth C^rps we parted company with this bat- 
tery with regi'ets, for we felt that we had not been 
able thus far to even up our accounts with them. 
This Ohio institution had seen no service except 
marching and camping. At C'ampbeirs Station, it 
was in the front line of artillery, first on the left of 
the Knoxville road in a very prominent position. 
For a while it was rare fun for these men to rake the 
rebel lines, but when the rebel artillery opened upon 
this first line of our batteries, there was a most sud- 
den change in the situation. The Ohioans had a 
man or two wounded and a caisson blown up. When 
the explosion occurred, the zeal of the men vanished, 
from officers and all. The captain limbered his bat- 
tery to the rear, hauled out into the road and ad- 
vanced toward Knoxville upon the trot. Whether 
he had orders to do so or not, we never knew. As 



IN KENTUCKY AND BAST TENNESSEE. 35 

they passed along the road by our battery in posi- 
tion, our men joked them to their hearts' content. 
It was loudly said that they were after hogs, poultry 
and sheep. We all felt that Ohio had been settled 
with, and just as we wanted it to be done. Had this 
battery seen as much service as the Ninth Army 
Corps, they never would have done as they did. 

We placed our guns in position, as before stated, 
in the rear and to the right of Fort Saunders. The 
drivers took care of the mules, and the cannoneers at 
once dropped upon the ground and slept until 
aroused to assist in fortifying our position. We 
were on a commanding ridge looking to the south- 
west. A section of our battery was to occupy em- 
brasures in the fort. The other two sections were 
outside and to the right of the fort. This fort was 
an unfinished rebel earthwork, which commanded 
the Loudon road, and was named by them Fort Lou- 
don. Col. Orlando Poe was the engineer in charge, 
and we soon had staked out for us works to be raised 
to protect our guns. As our men were so wearied 
out, it was difficult for them to accomplish much in 
the digging on this 17th of November, 1863, the day 



/ 



36 feATTERY D, FIRST R. I. LT. ARTLY. 

of our arrival. Late in the day details of citizens 
came upon the ground, and before light the next 
morning we had excellent protection for our guns. 
It was reported that General Burnside had taken all 
males, irrespective of color or politics, and set them 
to work upon the fortifications around the city. 
Knoxville then rested entirely upon an elevated 
plateau, skirting along the right bank of the Holston 
river, which is the main branch of the Tennessee. 
This plateau was divided into three portions by two 
creeks, named first and second creeks, respectively, 
from the north. Third creek was just south of our 
position at Port Saunder-s. This name was given the 
fort about the 20th of November, in honor of Colonel 
Saunders, who was killed at Armstrong's House. 
This division of the plateau gave one the impression 
that the city was built upon three hills. On all 
prominent points strong works were erected, some 
of them enclosed. These forts were joined by strong 
rifle pits. Also there was an inner line of enclosed 
works. On the left or south bank were several knobs 
200 or 300 feet in height. The river was crossed by 
a pontoon bridge. We had possession of the most 



IN KENTUCKY AND EAST TE3NNESSEE. 37 

commanding knob, had a good road to its summit 
and it was well fortified. 

We had a large mounted force which operated 
principally on the left bank of the river. Forage 
and other supplies were sent down the French Brood 
and Holston rivers. In fact, during the whole siege, 
we were never verj' much interfered with on the 
south side of the river opposite and above Knoxville. 
Our force was about 15,000, and that of General 
Longstreet's 20,000 men. On the 18th we, from Fort 
Saunders, witnessed a gallant fight for the posses- 
sion of the Armstrong House, on the Loudon road, 
about a mile and a half from Siiunders. This posi- 
tion was held by 2,000 or 3,000 of our mounted men, 
and it required the whole force of McLaw to capture 
the house. 

As soon as our forces retreated down the road un- 
der cover of our works, the rebels immediately took 
possession of the house. Lieutenant Benjamin then 
made a beautiful shot, sending at the first trial a 
20-pound shell into the house, setting it on fire. Had 
the rebels not extinguished the fire the house would 
have been burned down. On the 20th we erected a 



38 BATTERY D, FIRST R. I. LT, ARTLY. 

flagstafif and sent up a flag in the fort. This created 
much enthusiasm all along our line. Our fortifica- 
tions were greatly str-engthened by bales of cotton, 
covered with green cattle hides. We felt by this time 
that we could easily hold our own against the enemy. 

A house on the north side of the Loudon road, from 
which its owners had fled, was taken possession of 
by the enemy's sharpshooters. It was outside of our 
lines, but was near enough to our fort to cause us 
much annoyance. General Ferrero, who commanded 
this portion of the line, decided to capture the house 
in a night attack. This was made in the evening at 
8 o'clock, so quietly and quickly that the enemy were 
surprised, and some surrendered and some ran away. 
The house was destroyed. 

A little incident occurred in the fort at this time 
that I have never forgotten. I had held the view, 
with most others, that it is a matter of instinct for 
a person to jump or dodge if anything unexpected 
comes upon him through any one of the senses. Lieu- 
tenant S. N. Benjamin, the chief of artillery of the 
army, often reprimanded his men for dodging, and 
so did General Ferrero, and General Ferrero told a 



IN KENTUCKY AND BAST TECNNESSEE. 39 

story how a soldier was hit when he dodged ; had he 
gone right along the bullet would have missed him. 
I had noticed Lieutenant Benjamin on several occa- 
sions under a warm fire, and he paid no attention to 
the whistling balls. On the night in question Gen- 
eral F'errero and staff and about every commissioned 
offijcer in the fort were standing inside Port Saun- 
ders awaiting the advance of our Seventeenth Michi- 
gan regiment upon the house. We had waited sev- 
eral minutes after 8 o'clock, and began to wonder 
why the attack had not been made. Suddenly there 
came right at us a heavy volley from the house. This 
was so unexpected that down went General Ferrero, 
and Lieutenant Benjamin was almost prone upon the 
ground. My opinion is that all present dodged more 
or less, but none so low as the officers named. 

On the 21st, Saturday, the work upon the fortifica- 
tions still went steadily on. The garrison of Fort 
Saunders consisted principally of the Seventy-ninth 
New York Highlanders and Benjamin's and Buck- 
ley's batteries. Other infantry was close at hand, 
which could be called upon in an emergency. From 
the 21st to the 28th nothing unusual occurred. The 



40 



BATTERY D, FIRST R. I. LT. ARTLY. 



enemy seemed to be busy on the south side of the 
Holston occupying a high knob with artillery, but 
so far oflf that we gave it but little attention. With 
24-pound howitzers they could nearly reach our own 
main line. Had he been able to capture the knob 
which our people had strongly fortified, it would 
have been very disastrous to us. 

Nov. 28, 18G3, opened cold and rainy. The outside 
of the parapet of Fort Saunders was coated with ice. 
From indications that all observed, it seemed that 
the assault upon our line was near at hand. The en- 
emy seemed to be pushing troops toward the right of 
Fort Saunders, and were constantly attempting to 
force back our pickets in that locality. The loca- 
tion of the several guns of Battery D at 10 p. m., on 
the 28th, was as follows: the second and sixth pieces 
were in Battery Galpin, on second creek, enfilading 
the creek and railroad ; the third, fourth and fifth in 
Fort Saunders, and the first in Battery Noble, on 
the left of the Loudon road. At 11 p. m., the rebels 
made a determined attack upon our lines from Bat- 
tery Galpin to the river, and our battery did con- 
siderable firing. This movement of the enemy was 



IX KENTUCKY AND BAST TENNESSEE. 41 

to drive in our pickets and to get as near our main 
line as possible. 

We all knew that by daylight we should be at- 
tacked with all the fury which General Longstreet 
could command. Ammunition was brought up in 
extra rounds, ready for use. Nobody slept. Gen- 
eral Burnside was visiting his troops, especially 
those in Fort Saunders. Two companies of the 
Twenty-ninth Massachusetts had been added to the 
infantry. His staff were all busy directing and en- 
couraging the men. It was not until half past six 
o'clock on Sunday morning, Nov. 29, 1863, that a 
signal gun was fired from the enemy's battery on 
Armstrong's Hill. There was then a lively artillery 
fire opened from all the enemy's guns in i>osition on 
both sides of the river. Our artillery made no reply. 
When the rebel artillery stopped firing we all knew 
that the assault would promptly follow. We were 
peering through the fog and smoke and darkness to 
see the advancing gray lines of the rebel infantry. 
We well knew that in a minute they might be upon 
us, as they had crowded up to within 200 yards of 
Fort Saunders. 



42 



BATTERY D, FIRST R. I. LT. ARTLY. 



In front of the fort telegraph wires had been 
wound round the stumps of trees lately cut down, 
and this wire, not being known to the enem}-, threw 
them into much confusion. Lieutenant Benjamin's 
20-pounders were not well adapted to the short range 
required to repel the assault, although they were as 
well served as any men could serve them, so that it 
devolved upon the three brass Napoleons of Battery 
D to do the effective work. As soon as the charging 
''columns by division closed en masse" of the enemy 
appeared, Battery D sent in to the columns double 
rounds of canister at fifty yards. The veterans of 
Fl-edericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Chickamauga 
began to quail. It was not possible for them to stand 
such an onslaught from big guns and rifles. Many 
fell from the deadly fire and others on account of 
contact with the entangling wire, but then in the fog 
and smoke, it was not possible to tell why it was 
that nearly every man in the first rank fell. 

To those brave men it seemed death to advance or 
retreat, and by force of numbers they pushed on. and 
some got into the ditch in front of the fort, it being 
some eight feet deep and twelve feet wide ; to the top 



IN KENTUCKY AND BAST TENNESSEE. 43 

of the parapet was at least twenty feet, and the out- 
side of the parapet was covered with smooth ice. 
When they gained the ditch they were sheltered from 
our fire. It was not an agreeable duty for our in- 
fantry to peer over the top of the parapet to shoot 
the rebels below, so Lieutenant Benjamin took a 
number of his shells, lighted the fuses and rolled 
them over the parapet into the ditch among the en- 
emy. A half dozen explosions of these shells brought 
them to terms, and soon something as white as any- 
thing they had, was raised upon a ramrod. They 
were told to enter by a certain embrasure, leaving 
their arms in the ditch. They came along rapidly, 
about 300 of them, and were marched into Knoxville. 
The rest of the charging columns fell back, and the 
battle was at an end. Four brigades, consisting of 
nineteen regiments, from 4,000 to 6,000 men, were 
sent forward against Fort Saunders. 

News soon came that General Gtrant had won a de- 
cisive victory at Chattanooga, and that General Sher- 
man was rapidly coming to our relief. Joy reigned 
in Knoxville, and in all the hearts of the thousands 
of loyal people in East Tennessee. 



APPENDIX, 



Incidents (Personal). 

At Campbeirs Station Sergeant Gideon Spencer, 
of the fourtli piece, had a close call. He was taking 
his piece from its position and passing along t'le 
Knoxville road. A high worm fence was standing by 
the side of the road and one of the slanting stakes 
in it hung out over the road so that the sergeant on 
horseback had to turn his head over to the right in 
order to avoid a collision. Just as he turned the 
head, a 20-pouiid shell came from the Washington 
artillery and cut off the stake, opposite the ser- 
geant's head. In this case, dodging paid. 

During the siege of Knoxville Private William 
Oakes was down in a ravine near the teams. A bul- 
let fired from the rebel lines came over and passed 
through his head just above the tongue, carry-ing 
away two or three of his teeth. He was in a hospital 
a short distance away, and the next day after he was 



APPENDIX. 



45 



wouDded I went to see him. I found him with his 
cheeks swollen to an enormous size. I shook his 
hand and expressed my regret at his misfortune, and 
hoped that he would soon be out of the hospital, etc. 
I did not think that he could articulate. I saw that 
he was about to speak, or to attempt it, and so 1 
leaned over to catch his words. Hie managed to sa}' 
in a distressed voice that he was unable to eat pop- 
corn. I thought that he would get back to Rhode Is- 
land, and told him so. 

While lying with my section on the right of F^rt 
Saunders, on a cold, wet day, the colonel command- 
ing the brigade to which I was attached directed his 
quartermaster to furnish me with a tent. There was 
sent round an old sibley tent and my men pitched it 
a short distance in rear of the line, on a slightly ele- 
vated dry patch of ground. I w^ent inside, but found 
that as the top of the tent was above our parapet, 
the rebels were shooting bullets through the top in a 
lively manner. I went outside and estimated about 
how low the shots could come through the tent. T 
made a mark on the inside, and those who happened 
to be in the tent kept h^ads below the line. The 



46 APPENDIX. 

colonel referred to this line as the dead line. A sol- 
dier brought to me a beautiful copy of the works of 
the Latin poet, Virgil, and I spent the time in read- 
ing his poetic account of the siege of "Lofty Illium." 

On the morning of the great assault upon our lines, 
Sergeant Charles C. Gray was in charge of the fourth 
piece of our battery. He often loaded his piece witli 
double canister and fired with terrible effect, for the 
range was only from fifteen yards to fifty yards. He 
moved his piece from its first position en barbette on 
the right of the fort, to an embrasure that more ef- 
fectually commanded the rebel advance. Here he 
fired with great rapidity, until the enemy appeared 
to recoil. He had his gun loaded with double canis- 
ter and ceased firing. At this time a rebel oflScer 
climbed out of the ditch, and standing at the muzzle 
of the cannon placed his sword upon it and said : 
"Surrender this gun." The man who held the lan- 
yard was ready to fire, and asked for the order. 
Sergeant Gray replied: "Don't waste double canis- 
ter on one man." At this juncture, three other rebels 
came into the embrasure at the muzzle of the gun. 
and then the order was given to "fire." Of these 



APPENDIX. 



47 



four men, nothing was left but atoms. The brav^ 
sergeant was publicly thanked and congratulated by 
General Burnside a few hours later. The Governor 
of Rhode Island, at the general's request, sent him 
a commission as second lieutenant. This case is 
unique. Nothing but the stout heart of Sergenat 
Gray made him a commissioned officer. He owed his 
promotion to no political or personal influence with 
the Governor of Rhode Island. 

Sergeant Frank Tucker, of Battery D, was a cool, 
brave man, and the best shot in the whole battery. 
Some 600 or 700 yards from our lines, just in the 
edge of a piece of woodland, a rebel sharpshooter, 
with a big target rifle that sent explosive bullets, 
had secreted himself in a pine tree. A number of 
men had been killed by him. General Ferrero had 
barely escaped a bullet through his head. The gen- 
eral sent for me, as my section was in position nearly 
opposite the sharpshooter, and requested me to open 
fire upon him. I stated that nothing would please 
me better, but as Lieutenant Benjamin had ordered 
me to waste no ammunition, I did not feel that he 
would permit me to ojien fire on one man. He gave 



48 APPENDIX. 

me a written order to proceed, and so I went back to 
my section to carry out the order. We placed a cap 
upon a ramrod and slowly raised it above our para- 
pet. 1 looked through a field glass while the men 
looked with naked eyes. The cap had no sooner come 
above the parapet than a ball was put through it. 
We all saw the smoke about ten or fifteen feet from 
the ground. I directed Sergeant Tucker to load with 
solid shot, to take his time about computing distance, 
elevation of piece, and aiming it. When he had the 
gun ready, we once more raised the cap, and 
promptly the bullet came. The sergeant had his 
piece ready aimed and he quickly said "fire." The 
next I saw the pine tree break off and topple over, 
and down fell a man with his gun in his hand. Cur 
men sent up a great shout. General Ferrero was de- 
lighted with such an exhibition of marksmanship. I 
noticed that as soon as the reb. struck the ground 
he jumped up and ran into the thicket to the rear of 
his tree. I said nothing about this, and it was un- 
derstood that Tucker had dropped his man at the 
first fire. 



CONFEDERATE 

LOSS IN ASSAULT UPON FORT LOUDON, 

ALIAS SAUNDERS ON NOVEMBER 29, I863. 



Killed, 129. Wounded, 458. 

Missing, 226. Aggregate, 813. 

See War of the Rebellion, Official Records, Vol. 31, Part 
I, page 475. 

General Burnside makes Confederate total loss about 500. 
See Ibid page 270. 

Union entire loss about 20, Ibid page. 

In the assault upon Fort Saunders, November 29, 1863, I 
do not find that Battery "D" suffered any loss. 

E. K. Parkek. 



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